Hair-clipping instrument



April 16, 1963 L. N. STRIKE 3,

HAIR-CLIPPING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 20, 1961 g f 50 W it A I M 3!; ZQ ]924 J3 v I INVENTOR. [00/5 /V. TR/KE BY g This invention relates to apower-operated instrument for trimming or clipping hairs in cavities andother hardto-reach places, especially in the outer ear cavities andnasal fossae.

An object of the present invention is to provide an instrument of thecharacter referred to that is especially adapted for use by barbers andother professionals as well as by laymen to safely and expeditiouslyclip unwanted hair in cavities and fossae. present construction is ofspecial importance to avoid accidental laceration as well as abrasionsof the skin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hairclipping instrumentthat is quiet in operation and transmits minimum vibration. This featureis particularly advantageous when the instrument is applied to the earswhere, of course, unduly loud and noisy operation would be undesired.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description and which is based on theaccompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and thefollowing description merely describes, preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, which are given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with the housing thereof broken away,of a power-operated hair-clipping instrument according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the operating portion of the instrument with thehousing thereof removed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on the line 3 3 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is abroken quarter-sectional view of a modification.

The present power-operated hair-clipping instrument comprises,generally, a housing 5, an electric motor 6 disposed within the housingand having an output shaft 7, a bracket 8 within the housing and forminga forward extension of the motor, a stationary but removable hollowclipper element 9 carried by the bracket and extending forwardly fromthe housing 5, a rotational clipper element 10 operable within thehollow of element 9 and cooperating therewith to cut hairs, and aresilient connection 11 between the motor shaft 7 and the clipperelement 10 and constituting a sound-and vibrating-damping means as wellas providing safety of operation of said element 10.

The housing may be variously formed as a shell, preferably of two parts,to enclose all but the operating end of the clipper element 9. The sameis shown as formed to have a pistol grip portion 15 and a barrel portion16, the element 9 protruding from the end of the latter portion. Anelectric connection 17 may be provided for the motor 6, the same beinghere shown as extending from the end of the pistol grip portion 15. Aswitch for cutting the motor in and out of circuit may be provided, thesame being suggested by the operating button 18 at the front part of thegrip portion 15.

The safety feature of the.

ice

The motor 6 may be generally conventional. The same is suggested by itsfield magnets 19 and armature 20. The output shaft 7 is shown ascomprising a rotational extension of said armature and as disposed onand directed along the axis of the barrel portion 16 of the housing 5.

The bracket 8 is shown as a triangular frame having a part 21 thatresides in the housing barrel part 16. A bridge-like end 22. on the part21 is provided with a tapped hole 23 on the axis of the motor shaft 7and spaced forward of the forward end of said shaft.

The clipper element 9 is of tubular form and is advantageously made of ahardened, non-corrosive metal sleeve 24. The same has a bore 25 that inone form of the invention (FIGS. 1 to 3) is a through bore, and in theother form (FIG. 4) is closed at the end by a wall 26. A threaded shank27' of said sleeve 24 has removable engagement with the tapped hole 23,a shoulder 28 on the sleeve limiting the position of said sleeve on theend 22 of the bracket part 21. The outer surface of said sleeve 24 ispreferably tapered forwardly, substantially as shown, and the endannular corner 29, whether the sleeve has an open end or has the endWall 26, is preferably rounded-over to present a smooth, nondrritatingend for engagement in operating areas. A set of longitudinal cuts 30 isprovided in the forward end of said sleeve and partly extending radiallytoward the center of wall 26, if the latter is used, said cuts 30-forming longitudinal cutting edges 31 at the bore 25 of the sleeve.

The clipper element 10 is of rod form and of a similar hardened materialas sleeve 24. The same has an outer cylindrical size to rotationally fitin the sleeve bore 25 and, wherever desired, relief or clearance may beprovided between said sleeve 24 and element 10 to minimize friction. Atone end, a slightly reduced portion 32 is directed toward the motorshaft and in axial coincidence thereof, and, at the opposite forwardend, said element is formed with an end cavity 33. A set of longitudinalcuts 34 is provided in the latter end of the element 10, the sameforming longitudinal cutting edges 35 at the outer face of said element.It will be clear that said edges 35- cooperate with the edges 31 ofelement 9 to cut through hairs that project into the cavity 33, as theelement 10 is rapidly mated by the motor 6.

The form of the cuts 30 and 34 and their longitudinal disposition may bevaried. Thus, the edges 31 and 35 may be differently angled relativelyto obtain eflicient clipping or shearing to minimize pulling on thehairs being cut.

The connection 11 is shown as a flexible tube 36 that fits tightly overshaft 7 and portion 32 of the rotational clipper element 10 and spanslongitudinally between said shaft and portion, and a thrust washer 37'between the end of tube 36 and the shoulder on element 10 that is formedby said portion 32.

Tube 36 is preferably made of rubber or of a synthetic resin ofcomparable flexibility. It will be clear that said tube provides aflexible drive that by torsional force transmits the rotation of shaft 7to the element 10 and that said drive is a resilient one as well as adrive that absorbs motor vibration and dampens motor sound which wouldotherwise be transmitted along the shaft to the clipper element 10. As aconsequence, the operation is a noiseless and pleasant one as well assafe in use, and it will be evident that the described device fullyrealizes the objects of the invention.

It will be noted, particularly from FIG. 2, that the forward end of theelement 10 terminates short of the open end of element 10. Thus, thelatter end protects against accidental lacerations between the ends ofthe elements. Of course, the wall 26 serves the same purpose in themodification.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is nowcontemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, theconstructions are, of course, subject to modification without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desiredto restrict the invention to the particular forms of constructionillustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fallWithin (the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1'. A hair clipping instrument comprising a motor assembly including afixed part and a rotary part, a rotary output member fixed to the rotarypart of said motor, a bracket attached to the fixed part of said motorassembly, said bracket having an outwardly projecting supportingterminal defining an opening axially aligned with said output member andspaced from the motor assembly, an outer tubular clipper elementremovably mounted in said opening and projecting outwardly therefrom,said outer tubular clipper element being axially aligned with the axisof said rotary output member, an inner clipper element rotatablydisposed in said outer clipper element and axially aligned therewith,said inner clipper element terminating inwardly of the outer extremityof said outer clipper element and including an inner power connectingterminal positioned inwardly of the outer clipper element, and aresilient non-metallic vibration damping connection between the rotaryoutput member and the inner clipper power connecting terminal fortransmitting power from the motor to the inner clipper element.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the rotary outputmember fixed to the rotary part of the motor assembly and the innerpower connecting terminal of the posed in said opening and extendingaway from said motor, an, inner clipper element rotationally disposed insaid outer element having a drive shaft coaxially spaced from saidoutput shaft, and a resilient non-metallic sleeve connecting said outputshaft and said drive shaft whereby vibrations and noise from said motorpresent in said output shaft are absorbed in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,312,933 Seiders Mar. 2, 1943 2,387,756 Henningsen Oct. 30, 19452,590,619 Hofland Mar. 25, 1952 2,801,465 Cason Aug. 6, 1957 2,946,121Marach July 26, 1960 2,987,818 Rosenstein June 13, 1961

1. A HAIR CLIPPING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A MOTOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AFIXED PART AND A ROTARY PART, A ROTARY OUTPUT MEMBER FIXED TO THE ROTARYPART OF SAID MOTOR, A BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE FIXED PART OF SAID MOTORASSEMBLY, SAID BRACKET HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING SUPPORTINGTERMINAL DEFINING AN OPENING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID OUTPUT MEMBER ANDSPACED FROM THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY, AN OUTER TUBULAR CLIPPER ELEMENTREMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID OPENING AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM,SAID OUTER TUBULAR CLIPPER ELEMENT BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE AXISOF SAID ROTARY OUTPUT MEMBER, AN INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT ROTATABLYDISPOSED IN SAID OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT AND AXIALLY ALIGNED THEREWITH,SAID INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT TERMINATING INWARDLY OF THE OUTER EXTREMITYOF SAID OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT AND INCLUDING AN INNER POWER CONNECTINGTERMINAL POSITIONED INWARDLY OF THE OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT, AND ARESILIENT NON-METALLIC VIBRATION DAMPING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ROTARYOUTPUT MEMBER AND THE INNER CLIPPER POWER CONNECTING TERMINAL FORTRANSMITTING POWER FROM THE MOTOR TO THE INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT.